The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-03-10
THE UNION SOLDIERS.
Their Sufferings and Their Compensation Com
pared with Those OF the British Soldiers In tn
Grimea.

Their Suherings and Their Compensation COM
Crimea.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your issue
Of Feb. IL, under the heading what Does 1t
Signify?" you refer to pay of soldieTs of various
nations and your criticism of the Presidents
veto message falls far short of actual facts to
pay, etc, of soldiers OF other nations.
Setting aside the fact that after the battle of
Alma and the movement to secure Baaklava
harbor the leaving the knapsacks. etc, behind
to facilitate the march, and the suffering caused
thereby during the Winter of 1884, the expos
ure and sufferings were no worse than the SOL
diers OF the URion suffered on almost any of its
campaigns; therefore. we may strike balance
as TO that. As TO pay, rations, clothing, medi-
cal attendance, etc. there is absolutely no COM
parison. The pay of Crimean soldiers was, on
peace footing, "a cents per day. but there his
pay was doubled and rations increased one
half and clothing free. The value of the
money he received was enhanced at least 300
per cent For instance. tobacco cost him in
England IS. Cd. per pound; in the Crimea be
bought it for one shilling a pound, all dutiable
articles being landed and sold to him free Of
duty.
Let me describe the medical attendance from
personal experience. While in the Crimea /
had occasion to go TO doctor. l went to the
first Regimental Surgeon / came to, and he
examined me and gave me medicine and relief
from duty. On the other hand, whilst lying
ut Warrenton Junction, Va, / had an occasion
for medical aid. Our Orderly Sergeant took
me 10 the 9th n. Y. doctor. / stated my case,
and was ordered out of his tent like dog and
told to go and take dose of salts-exactly
what / went for, but in this case did not get
Both cases were simply headache. brought on
by getting thoroughly chilled on duty. To
compare the duties of the two armies is simply
ridiculous. The Crimean soldier was there to
light, not to drag cannon over mountains, and
on marches TO forage for rations.
At the fall of Sebastopol. for every available
fighting man there must have been at least two
other men 10 provide for his comforts and re-
quirements-the army-wOrks corps to make
roads, build railroads, etc, the vast army of
Turks to carry water and fuel, etc. These
were not enlisted men. Then there was an
other army Of enlisted men to do police duty
and add to the fighting mans comfort. In all
there must have been 100000 men. Aud at the
grand review after the peace 10000 men of all
arms would DO big estimate Of the British
army.
As to marches, there was only one, from Alma
10 the rear of Sebastopol, say, 40 miles. As TO
clothing, nothing ever issued TO the Union SOL
diers bore any comparison as TO actual worth
TO that of the Britisher. As to casualties two
years OF Crimea campaigning cost $4,000 men
killed and died OF wounds less than 1000 the
rest, 2l,OOO died of starvation and exposure.
The starvation nearly all occurred in the Win
tor Of 81 and %.
Neither Is there anything favorable to the
Union soldier after his discharge. Any we'll
behaved British soldier is chosen for Govern
ment employ IN preference to the civilian. The
coast guards, customs officers. police of cities.
dockyards etc, are all open for him-no need
of political influence his discharge is his one
thing needed. Let our friends study these
facts and tell US wherein the Union soldiers
were so exorbitantly paid for services rendered
in deprecated currency worth 81 cents on the
dollar. We have one consolation, we can starve
and bear all the indignities attempted to be put
on us by the stay-athOmcs. We got pretty
still suffer. But there is the fact that We wiped
the damnable disgrace of slavery from the es-
cutcheon OF the NaIion.-YERITAs, Oakdale Pa.